Women need a whole year to recover from childbirth despite the ‘fantasy’ image of celebrity mothers, study claims

Did you expect to be back to “normal” within six weeks of your baby’s birth? Fitting into your previous clothes, returning to your former energy level, and being capable of the same physical tasks as you were pre-pregnancy? I think a lot of us did, as we are inundated with photos of celebrities who have “bounced back” so soon after birth. But the reality of it tends to be something much different.

New research from Dr, Julie Wray of Salford University concludes that not only can it can take up to a year to recover from childbirth, but most women are dissatisfied with the care they received postpartum, beginning with their stay at the hospital.

The new mothers Dr Wray spoke to said that the six week recovery time was a ‘fantasy’. Many were disappointed by the six week check, which all mothers receive from either their midwife or their GP. Some did not receive a physical examination, and others were not told whether or not their bodies had recovered yet. The psychological effects can also take much longer to recover from. Dr Wray’s study found that hospital wards can have a negative impact on women’s ability to recoup and celebrate the birth of their child because of the constant stream of visitors and the unfamiliar rules and regulations.

The women in the study felt that recovery time takes longer than six or eight weeks, and therefore postpartum support should continue for longer than six to eight weeks as well.

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